Senior Advocate and founder of the Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, yesterday, warned that unless there is a new constitution before the 2023 general election, Nigeria will continue to recycle failed leaders.
The legal luminary, according to a statement made available by ABUAD, spoke in a goodwill message as the special guest of honour at the Fifth Ife Institute of Advanced Studies, Summer Institute Programme held on July 26, 2021 at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, in Osun State, insisted that the 1999 Constitution remains the biggest problem of the country and that until it is replaced, Nigeria would not be able to make any meaningful progress.
Babalola said: “Those who wish this Country to remain an indivisible entity, and I am one, must unite to ensure that we replace the present 1999 Constitution with a truly Federal Constitution and a Parliamentary system of Government, which is more involving and less expensive.
“It is my considered view that a new constitution must be in place before the next election, otherwise we will be recycling the same failed leaders that have brought Nigeria to where it is today.
“The proposed constitution will spell out the number of political parties and percentage of women representation, among others. It will also enable knowledgeable, selfless, patriotic and non-tribalistic Nigerians to emerge as leaders and make governance less expensive. In addition, it will discourage politics from being the most lucrative business in Nigeria.
“The constitution must prevent transactional businessmen from contesting elections. The constitution must make provision for Independent Candidates to contest and win elections.
“The remaining 40 per cent shall be contested by all qualified voters. This way, we will have a Parliament consisting of 60 per cent of elected members by professionals and opinion leaders whose election will not be affected with votes bought with as little as N5,000.”
“Particular attention must be paid to the issue of poverty, reduction of population by limiting the number of children per couple. This will prevent the present untoward situation where the offer of a mere N5,000 could induce poor Nigerians to vote against the dictates of their conscience,” he said.
The senior advocate also suggested that the new constitution must provide that the National Assembly should consist of 60 per cent of Nigerians elected by professional bodies while the remaining 40 per cent should be contested by all qualified voters.
He said, “This way, we will have a parliament consisting of 60 per cent of elected members by professionals and opinion leaders whose election will not be affected with votes bought with as little as N5,000.
“Nigeria does not need two houses in the National Assembly. All we need is one house with the number of Legislators reduced to 50 per cent of what it is today,” he added..
